M.A. Oral History at Columbia University
As of Fall 2024, I transferred into the M.S. Documentary Film program at Columbia University Journalism School. However, my journey at Columbia started as an M.A. Oral History candidate in Fall 2023. In Spring 2019, I earned my M.F.A. at The City College of New York, where I was awarded the Helen & Sydney Jacoff Scholarship for further graduate study. However, I decided to postpone my studies due to the pandemic and the development of projects like "Mi Abuela, Queen of Nightmares" and Sirena's Gallery, among others. Drawing from my background in the arts and journalism, I came to Columbia wanting to balance my passion for fictional storytelling with rigorous training in non-fiction storytelling.
Adriana, My First Salvi Friend
My Fall 2023 courses:
• Oral History Program: Fieldwork, Production, and Archiving
• Oral History Program: Oral History Workshop
• Oral History Program: Roots & Branches of Oral History
• Spanish Department: Collective Trauma, Testimony & Justice
• Journalism Department: The Written Word - Feature Writing
My most substantial projects coming out of Fall 2023 coursework were the documentaries La Gringa Guanaca and Adriana, My First Salvi Friend. Work completed for my Feature Writing course was published in the Brooklyn Downtown Star and Greenpoint Star. This includes an essay originally titled "The Gentrifier." Over Winter Break 2023/2024, I used an OHMA award to travel to Mexico City for artistic research.
During the Spring 2024 semester, I took one course, my last in the OHMA program, while waiting to hear back about my transfer to the documentary film program. The course was called Serious Play: Oral History and the Art of Story, which allowed me to produce several creative projects related to personal narrative and memory. Concurrently, I completed independent study in advanced Spanish conversation/literature via The Teachers College at Columbia. I also took a non-credit course called Creative Writing from Personal Archives.
• Oral History Program: Fieldwork, Production, and Archiving
• Oral History Program: Oral History Workshop
• Oral History Program: Roots & Branches of Oral History
• Spanish Department: Collective Trauma, Testimony & Justice
• Journalism Department: The Written Word - Feature Writing
My most substantial projects coming out of Fall 2023 coursework were the documentaries La Gringa Guanaca and Adriana, My First Salvi Friend. Work completed for my Feature Writing course was published in the Brooklyn Downtown Star and Greenpoint Star. This includes an essay originally titled "The Gentrifier." Over Winter Break 2023/2024, I used an OHMA award to travel to Mexico City for artistic research.
During the Spring 2024 semester, I took one course, my last in the OHMA program, while waiting to hear back about my transfer to the documentary film program. The course was called Serious Play: Oral History and the Art of Story, which allowed me to produce several creative projects related to personal narrative and memory. Concurrently, I completed independent study in advanced Spanish conversation/literature via The Teachers College at Columbia. I also took a non-credit course called Creative Writing from Personal Archives.
My writing and photography piece "Untangling the Mess of Diasporic Yearning" was selected for Columbia's MODA Critical Review, which was released in May 2024. I also dedicated time to documenting the pro-Gaza protests on Columbia's Morningside campus. Photos and videos are available on my Stoddard Says YouTube channel, which I launched as part of my Serious Play coursework.
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Read the full issue here.
During Summer 2024, I completed a fellowship with AnkhLave Arts Alliance at the curator-in-residence, thanks to support from Columbia University's Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change. There, I united my interests in decolonizing oral history, documentary, and art for a non-academic audience. Work samples are coming soon.
Photo from documentary work related to gentrification in Brooklyn
